CHAPTER SIX
They don't shake hands
Hello again readers!
READ: I made a mistake in a previous chapter. In chapter four it was mentioned that Ariel is a great Lord of the Rings fan, but she is not. She's only watched the movies once, and that was when she was fourteen. This is also the reason she doesn't really remember much of the movies. I've already edited it, so if you wonder what the heck I'm talking about, then no worries.
So. Now that that's settled, I want to thank the reviewers for reviewing, the followers for following and the favouriters for favouriting!
If you haven't done any of those things mentioned above, but made it this far nonetheless, then could you please pretty please do so? Thank you!
I've rewritten this chapter over and over, but if you spot any typos or other mistakes, then please let me know!
Enjoy this chapter!
"Hold onto her mane, Ariel!"
The little girl did as she was told, her hands curling into Brynn's long brown mane. Shrieks reached her ears even over the loud thundering of Brynn's hooves on the forest floor. Ariel started turning her head, but a hand quickly stopped her.
"No," Dylis' voice came sternly but out of breath from above her. "Don't look behind you. Whatever you do, do not look." Ariel shut her eyes tightly when she heard the scrape of a blade being pulled out of its sheath. "Faster, Brynn, faster!"
The mare galloped even faster than before, but there were too many of them. Even though Ariel was told she couldn't look behind her, she could already see them coming from the corner of her eyes.
A black substance splashed onto Brynn's mane, on Ariel's hands and face, and the shrieks of those monstrous creatures were all she could hear. She whimpered, staring at the drops on her hand in horror. A head flew out in front of her and landed onto the road. Nothing attached to it.
Ariel was too shocked to even let out a yelp, and Brynn was going too fast for her to see all the gory details. The head was already trampled beneath her hooves.
Suddenly, something grabbed her by her ankle, and she screamed. Panicking, she clutched to Brynn tightly and tried to kick the monster, but it was too heavy and she was slipping. She was about to fall off when the weight slumped off her leg to the ground. A strong arm held Ariel firmly in place as the other arm swung around decapitating the monsters.
They rode on as Dylis cut and slashed and sliced. But then Ariel suddenly felt this… presence. It felt like ice creeping up on her back and dread built up inside her. She turned her head to where she felt it was, and the little girl squinted her eyes as she peered through the trees and bushes she passed.
Her hands tightened in Brynn's mane when she saw a black horse matching their own fast pace, on it a rider in armour black as night. He wore a spiked helmet and she couldn't see the rider's face because of it. But as if feeling her wide-eyed gaze, he suddenly turned his head to her, and Ariel knew she was staring right into his eyes.
And it felt like her very soul was laid bare, like she was stripped of her skin and flesh, like it could kill her with only one look.
All she could do was stare and stare. The rider reached out a gloved hand to her, as if it wanted to take something from her. As if he wanted to take her.
And it called out to her in a horrifying hiss.
Ariel…
She opened her mouth to scream, but she could only choke on her breath. Tears were streaming down her face, but she hardly noticed. Dylis hardly noticed, since she was too busy hacking at her attackers.
Just when Ariel had finally found her voice, a flash of green light blinded her from her sight.
A gasp echoed through the night, followed by choked up sobs and heavy breathing
"Shh," Dylis whispered quietly as she crept nearer to Ariel, placing a hand on her shoulder.
But Ariel jerked at the touch, whimpering, her whole body shaking. It was him! It was the rider, the rider was taking her!
Stop it! Calm down! Why can't you calm down? She couldn't control—she couldn't…
I'll never calm down! Oh shit oh shit oh shit—
She was hyperventilating now, her breaths short and uneven and she tried to take deep breaths but she couldn't. It was like something had put a boulder on her chest and she desperately tried to crawl from underneath it but it only made it worse!
"Ariel…"
No! He couldn't take her with him, not the rider! He wanted her, wanted to kill her! His voice— his voice was bone-chilling, echoing through her mind over and over.
She couldn't see, it was too dark but not because of the night—there were blacker spots blocking her vision, blacker than night. Or maybe her eyes were shut. She didn't know. She couldn't open them even if she had her eyes closed. You're dying. This is what death feels like. You're going to die all alone.
"Little princess…"
She heard a voice again, but it was different. Softer. But it was far, far away, like someone calling from above the surface while she was quickly being pulled back further down, down, down…
"It's alright, you are here with me…"
She was here. Where was here?
In the forest.
But those monsters! They were here!
"They—they are here!" she croaked between gasps. "They're following… they're following us!"
It hurt to talk. The rock on her chest was so heavy. And it made her sink faster and faster in the deep waters. Air! She needed air!
"Shh, you are safe…" The voice was soothing, soft and closer than before. "No one is following us. It was just a dream."
It wasn't a dream, she was sure of it! The rider was right here and they were all in danger!
"Breathe." It was like the voice was talking in slow-motion. "Breathe in deeply… and breathe out."
Ariel tried to hang on to that voice. That clear voice. She tried to inhale deeply but she felt like she choked. A strangled gasp escaped her mouth instead.
"Again. In… and out… Good. Keep going."
Ariel tried again, and again, and again. And somehow, it was like someone helped her lift the boulder off of her chest, and she could crash through the surface. Her chest finally had some space to move up and down.
Slowly, the black spots faded away and she could make out a face in the pale light. Dylis. It was Dylis.
The drumming in her ears disappeared and her chest rose and fell more evenly.
When she felt she was calm enough, Ariel looked around.
A forest. She was in a forest with Dylis, and seven other men who would show them the way home.
Not the forest from her nightmare.
She breathed in and out, in and out, repeating that phrase in her mind like a mantra. Not the forest from her nightmare. She was with Dylis. She was safe.
Then, it was quiet for a while.
The men were watching her, concerned and curious at the same time. Ariel tried to ignore them, looking down her lap.
Dylis looked at her intently.
"Are you feeling more calm now?" she asked, and when Ariel nodded, she sat back a bit. "Good."
Ariel glanced at her briefly before looking at her hands. "Thanks," she whispered, because her voice was too hoarse. "For pulling me out."
"I'll always be there to pull you out. You know that."
Ariel said nothing and stared off into the woods. In the blue twilight before dawn, Dylis could just see the dreadfulness in her grey eyes, as if she'd seen something sinister in her dream.
Had she?
As if reading her mind, Ariel spoke up, her voice quiet like she didn't dare speak louder.
"It was that dream again," she began, her eyes flickering to Dylis'. "But it was so much more vivid now. Almost like it was…" She paused for a second. "Almost like it was real. I could feel the horse galloping at high speed, feel the blood of those monsters splashing onto my face. I could hear their shrieks, hear the sound of hooves as they hit the ground and I could hear the sound of a sword cutting through bodies."
She shuddered and inhaled deeply, trying to calm her mind before it could go wild again.
"And then I saw him," she continued, her voice barely a whisper now. The look in her eyes gave Dylis almost a shiver down her spine. "It was so much clearer. Not just a— a presence, but physical. He was all clad in black, with a spiked helmet. And he looked at me. And— and he reached out to me. Not just with his hand… but with his mind. He called to me. By my name!"
Instinctively, Dylis grabbed Ariel's hand. Ariel, thinking the blonde was just sympathising with her, clutched her hand tightly, not feeling that Dylis' fingers were searching for Ariel's ring.
It was still there. Dylis sighed in relief.
"Listen to me, Ariel," she said with urgency in her voice. "This is going to sound odd, but when you have a dream like this again and someone asks something— anything of you… give them nothing, alright?"
Ariel stared at her, confused as she pulled her hand free of Dylis' grip to turn the ring around her finger. "Okay. Yeah, I can do that," she said, a quizzical frown on her face. It did sound weird… and creepy. But the serious look on Dylis' face told her that it was important. And Ariel trusted Dylis more than anyone. Maybe even more than Will or her parents.
Dylis had always been there. She could talk to her about anything— and she knew best how to handle her panic attacks. Will would always just pat her back, saying she should try and calm down, and Abby and Hugh had only seen her having a panic attack once.
Dylis nodded at her, satisfied with her promise. "Good."
They both looked up when they heard someone walk over.
The kind smile on his face made him easy to recognise, even in the slight darkness. He held out a water pouch to her, and Ariel took it with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Lithir," she said, now feeling guilty she'd been so blunt to him earlier.
He wove a dismissive hand. "It is of no problem," he said. "My younger sister sometimes has anxiety strikes. Not as heavy as you just had, but… I know how difficult it can be."
Ariel's smile broadened a bit. "You have a little sister?" she asked.
Lithir nodded and in the pale, beginning dawn Ariel could see the fond look on his face as he clearly thought of his younger sister. "Yes, on the contrary to what the common folk believe, we Rangers do have family, you know."
Dylis stood up, and Ariel looked up at her in question. "I shall ask Arradon about this village we are heading to," she said, eyes flickering from the boy to Ariel.
"Okay," Ariel said and nodded and then watched her back retreat to the mysterious leader of the group.
Lithir regarded Ariel for a second, then motioned to the ground. "Can I sit next to you?" he then asked, almost cautious.
She nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said and scooted over a little to let him sit on her bedroll. But instead his face reddened a bit and he sat down on the grass. Ariel thought nothing of it and looked sideways at him. "I'm sorry for being so mean to you earlier."
Lithir chuckled a bit and shrugged. "There is nothing to forgive," he replied, smiling. "My friends do tell me often I'm rather inquisitive."
Ariel smiled. "I have a friend who's curious like that. Always questioning everything and won't stop until he has an answer that satisfies him."
Before they became close, Vincent used to annoy the crap out of her with those everlasting questions. But then he and Ariel had to work on a science project, and starting hanging out more and more together, and quickly became best friends. Now, she enjoyed thinking and philosophising about deep questions about life and death and the universe.
He was different than most boys she'd met, but she guessed that was just because she knew him so well.
Ariel didn't notice Lithir studying her face with curiosity as she stared off in the distance with a small smile.
"This… friend," he said, and grinned when Ariel jolted at his voice, "is he merely a friend, or…?"
"What? No, of course not," Ariel said quickly, almost too quickly. "That's silly. Vincent's my best friend. It'd be weird if one of us had— no, that's just not right."
She was blushing.
Gosh, she was blushing. Vincent was pretty cute, she had to admit it. Of course, sometimes she'd just wonder what it would be like to be more… but she'd never given much thought to it. Not in a serious way anyway.
Dylis had often made jokes about them, even more when Ariel told her she would share an apartment with him in Boston.
"I see," Lithir murmured amused, interrupting Ariel's pondering.
Ariel chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "No, seriously," she said. "I'm no good at dating. I went to the movies with this guy once and he wanted to put his hand on my thigh, and it surprised me so much that I spilled coke over my whole dress." She snorted at the memory. "It was horrible."
When Lithir didn't immediately reply, she turned her head to him, only to see him gaze at her in puzzlement. "Date-ting? Moovies? Coak?" he repeated in a funny accent, questioning. "I'm afraid I'm not quite following."
Ariel's eyebrows furrowed a little. She wanted to be annoyed with him, frustrated that he kept this game going for so long. But either he was the best method-actor she'd ever seen, or that was genuine confusion she could see on Lithir's face.
She opened her mouth, but then decided against it and just mumbled, "Never mind."
"Never mind?" he asked. "What do you mean with that? You do not have a mind?"
Now, Ariel rolled her eyes. "It means, 'forget it'," she said harshly, but when seeing his face, she softened a bit. "Or, 'pay no mind to it'."
"Oh."
At that moment, Arradon told them they'd have a brief breakfast and not to make a fire. The dark look flashing across his face made Ariel wonder what news the morning scouts had given him.
They ate quickly and Ariel had to admit that she didn't really like the strange bread they offered her. It was sweet at first, but it had a weird after taste. Like lemonade that was too sweet— it made your tongue feel sticky. Waybread, Angharad called it, given to them by the elves.
Ariel had simply barked a laugh at that, muttering, "Yeah, right." It wouldn't surprise her if they said there were trolls in this land. She wouldn't believe them, obviously, but it would just confirm that they were insane.
After having eaten, they went on. Ariel's legs and feet were still sore— even more so than the day before, but Dylis wasn't complaining so Ariel kept her mouth shut as well.
Ariel had always liked hiking, but this definitely was a whole new level. Her calves felt like an overstretched rope, ready to snap at any moment. And the uneven ground and having to go up and down every time didn't really help.
She was mostly walking on her own, looking at the ground in order not to trip over any roots or her own feet. After throwing up yesterday evening, she didn't need another embarrassing situation to be laughed over at.
But still, rabbits being stripped of their hide is not an image you can unsee.
"Hey."
Ariel jumped, so focused on looking at her feet that she didn't see nor hear Dylis come to walk by her side.
"Hi," she replied. She hadn't really spoken much to her since her nightmare. Maybe it was the fact that she was acting so strangely, like she knew what kind of situation they were in, like she knew what to expect. Or maybe it was just the fact that Dylis was pretty worried as well, trying to devise an escape plan for the two.
Ariel didn't know. And she hated being in the dark. As much as she trusted Dylis (with her whole life), this was starting to annoy her. Why did she have the feeling Dylis wasn't telling her everything?
Dylis must've noticed her slight wariness, because a flash of hurt crossed her face. It disappeared as quickly as it came, though, and she steeled her face again. Just like always. What is it with Dylis and her hatred against emotions? Ariel thought frustratingly.
"When we arrive at the… settlement," Dylis said quietly, her eyes scanning the men to make sure no one was eavesdropping, "just… play along, alright?"
Ariel frowned. This was exactly what she meant. What did Dylis know? "I don't understand," she said. "What do you mean with play along?"
Dylis bit her lip. "You know… if you notice something strange, don't question it."
Suddenly it dawned on Ariel, and she slowed walking a little. Then she remembered Lithir and Angharad were walking behind them, and she quickened her pace again. "So you think it too," she whispered. "You think they're part of some weird-ass cult as well? With the rabbit-skinning, the medieval clothes and the weapons?"
For a second, Dylis didn't know how to answer that. Oh, how was she going to explain the truth without sounding insane? All she could do was sound cryptic, and that wasn't really helping Ariel trust her.
"I don't know," Dylis lied with a shrug. "I just know something is… up with them."
Ariel nodded, a pensive look on her face. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, okay. I'll play along. Like nothing's wrong."
"Good." Dylis regarded her for a second and forced a reassuring smile on her face. "It's going to be alright. There is nothing to be scared of when I am near, you know that."
Ariel rolled her eyes. "Dyl, I'm not a kid anymore," she muttered. "I know how to take care of myself."
"I know."
They walked on and on. It was like there was a silent agreement to not say anything as they travelled to the village. Hell, even their footsteps were quiet. It was Ariel who made the most noise, stumbling over roots and kicking fallen leaves over the ground.
She stopped with the leaf-kicking, however, when one of the men she didn't know the name of gave her an annoyed glare.
When the sun was almost on top of their heads, they finally stepped out of the tree line. Ariel's untamed, tangly hair flew back as the gentle breeze reached them, and she looked at the hills before her. The way the hills rolled almost lazily up and down over the land reminded her of her hiking vacation in New England a few years ago.
The sudden clearing was well-sized, as big as two, maybe three football stadiums, but still surrounded by trees on every side.
There was a brook meandering its way and Ariel could see colourful fish in the clear water. But the little settlement built around the stream really gave the whole setting a medieval feel.
The houses seemed to be made almost entirely of wood, standing on stilts, with thatched roofs. The group walked past a pasture where sheep grazed, and a little further up Ariel spotted a brown mare with a foal.
Childish laughter reached her ears and she looked forward again to see a boy and two girls play some sort of tag-game.
If Ariel expected anything, it wasn't this.
She expected some sort of secluded area in the middle of a forest with candles and white-clothed maidens doing sacrifices for their nature gods. Not a village in a wide hilly country and children playing.
She exchanged a look with Dylis, who had some sort of dubious expression on her face.
When they walked past the first house— it was more like a cottage— Ariel began to feel eyes on her. Not only the men she and Dylis were walking with were wearing medieval clothing. Every one here did.
The girls and women wore dresses reaching their ankles, mostly of dull colours like grey, beige or dark brown. The men all wore tunics of some sort and loose trousers tucked in leather boots.
Some stopped with whatever they were doing and smiled at the men, exclaiming that they were finally back. Then the eyes fell on Ariel and Dylis, looking them up and down with curious and suspicious frowns.
Suddenly, Ariel felt pretty self-conscious of her black and white paper-bag pants (which she found to be pretty stylish, to be honest) and white T-Shirt sporting the logo of her favourite band.
Which was, of course, ridiculous, because these people obviously were the weirdos.
…Right?
"Papa!"
A child shot in sight and all but threw herself at Arradon, who laughed and pulled her up without too much effort.
"There's my little girl," Arradon said with a grin spreading all over his face, making him even more handsome than he already was.
Ariel was stunned. Not only hadn't she been aware of the fact Arradon could so much as smile, but Arradon couldn't be over twenty-two, twenty-three max! And that kid looked like she was three years old or something.
Suddenly, the other men started going their own ways, and Lithir came to stand in front of her.
"I'll see you around," he said with a nod to Dylis and a small smile to Ariel.
Ariel, not really sure if he would, just nodded. "Yeah… bye," she mumbled.
He walked away, giving the giggling girls he passed a polite smile, and Ariel wondered if he already had a wife and kid, too. Then she shook her head. She shouldn't even care— she and Dylis would be gone soon, anyway.
"Papa, who are they?"
Ariel and Dylis turned around to Arradon and the red-haired girl in his arms. The girl was regarding them with open curiosity, and Ariel smiled a little and waved.
"They," Arradon started and put her down, "are travellers. This is my daughter, Lothien." He gestured to Ariel and Dylis. "And Lothien, these women are Sigrid and Tilda." Dylis could hear the hesitance when saying their made up names. She gritted her teeth: she would have to come clean soon, otherwise they'll never trust them and help them.
"Now, little flower," Arradon continued, ruffling Lothien's hair, "why don't you call grandpa for me?"
The little girl dashed off and Arradon watched her climb up the stairs with an incredibly, adorable fond look on his face. If Ariel knew him better and wasn't, you know, suspicious of him and the other way around, she might've said something about it. But they were, in fact, quite wary of each other, and both women could see it in Arradon's narrowed grey eyes.
"Now that the others are not here," Arradon began with crossed arms as he took a few meaningful steps towards them, "you can stop pretending. I know very well you are hiding something. I would greatly advise you not to lie to my father, who is in charge here." Ariel swallowed thickly. "If we find out anything remotely suspicious or treacherous about you two—"
"Son, please do not scare off our guests."
Arradon stopped, looking up to the sky only briefly as to roll his eyes before he turned around. The man who had spoken was even taller than Arradon, which said a lot.
"Father," Arradon greeted with a small smile, but it didn't seem to be genuine. "Waiting for me, I see?"
"You were gone longer than usual," the man replied coolly. His eyes flickered to Ariel and Dylis. "But I see there was a legitimate reason."
He, too, had brown hair, though a little lighter than his son's, and piercing grey eyes. Everything about him screamed authority, and Ariel felt herself shrink in his presence.
Dylis, however, didn't seem to feel the same way, because she straightened her shoulders and looked at the man with respect and slight mistrust at the same time.
"Are you the chieftain, sir?" she asked, her voice steely like the one of a warrior. It made the man pause after he'd opened his mouth to reply, and he studied her for a short moment.
"No," he then replied. "I am in charge while the chieftain is away. The name is Halbarad."
"I would like to speak with you," Dylis said instead of giving him her name. Her eyes flickered to Arradon. "In private."
Halbarad regarded her carefully now, not sure what to make of this woman. She had a tough exterior, making him wonder if she was a warrior. She certainly talked like one. Respect in her voice, but with a demand in her tone nonetheless. Perhaps she'd even been in command?
Finally, he nodded. "Follow me."
Ariel made to follow him, but Dylis stopped her. "Stay here," she said softly, her demeanour slightly falling away. "I will handle this. You should rest."
"But I want to come," Ariel protested, but Dylis gave her a look. Ariel relented and let her shoulders sag. "Fine. I'll just have a chitchat with Arradon. Real nice guy, he is."
Dylis rolled her eyes. "Be nice. He helped us after all."
"Yeah, yeah," Ariel muttered and waved with her hands. "Go on then. I'll be fine on my own."
She watched Dylis follow Halbarad through narrowed eyes, her arms folded across her chest. Sighing, she turned around. "So, I didn't know you had a—"
But Arradon was already gone.
Ariel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Great."
About half an hour later, Ariel was sitting in the grass on a hill a bit further away from the cabins. She was tired, bored and pretty much starving, and the afternoon sun made her feel lazy.
She looked around the area, watching as the men and women went on to do their everyday business. A particular large group of women were by a calmer part of the brook where the water wasn't rushing so fast, dipping their clothes in the water and wringing them out. Ariel watched them curiously, her head tilted to the side, but when she noticed two girls looking about her age watching her as well, she averted her eyes from the group.
She went on. There was a man teaching a boy— probably his son— how to take care of his sword. Closer by, a guy in the pasture next to where she sat was training his horse to trot.
And not for the first time did Ariel wonder just where she'd ended up. She was quite sure towns like this one didn't exist in America, unless the people here were Amish. But the women didn't dress like Amish.
She wondered if she was in America at all. The excuses she made in order not to feel insane slowly seemed to dissipate.
And that scared her. Because if this was real… what about all that monster-talk?
She put a stop to that thought and turned her head when she heard giggling. The two girls she'd seen washing their clothes were hesitantly walking up to her, their eyes just as curious as Lothien's.
Ariel straightened up a little, having some sort of instinct to brace herself. One of the girls had long, wavy blond hair, the other had long, straight brown hair and as they neared, Ariel noticed she, too, had grey eyes.
"Hello," the brunette said, and the easy smile on her face seemed somewhat familiar.
"Uhm. Hi," Ariel greeted, looking up at them and waving a little awkwardly.
"You are one of the travellers, are you not?" the blonde asked, not even bothering to hide her curiosity in her voice.
Ariel stood up and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am here with my sister," she replied. Then she stuck her hand out. "I'm A— Tilda, by the way."
The girls both looked at her hand, puzzled. Ariel frowned a little let her hand fall to her side. Rude.
"My name is Gwyneth," the brown-haired girl said, putting her hand on her chest. "But everyone calls me Gwyn."
"And I am Crystin," the blonde said with the same gesture and a smile. Hmm. Ariel had seen Dylis do likewise when she introduced herself to Arradon. Ariel made a mental not to remember the gesture. "I have always wanted to travel and see the world outside this forest," Crystin followed enthusiastic. "It must be beautiful out there."
Ariel chuckled nervously. "Uhm, yeah, it is pretty nice," she said. "My sister and I were on our way from… from Dal."
"You mean Dale?" Gwyn corrected with a secretive smile, making Ariel frown for a second. But before she could open her mouth, Gwyn already continued. "I've heard many stories about Dale. Even after the dragon attack, my brother said it's still a beautiful city."
"Wait— dragon attack?" Ariel choked.
"Yes," Crystin said with a grave look. "Some eighty years ago, I think. It was very tragic." She tilted her head, confused. "But… you would know, right? I mean, you come from Dale?"
Ariel nodded quickly. Just play along, echoed Dylis' words in her mind. "Yeah, I knew, of course!" she lied. "I just didn't think people here would still talk about it, since it was quite a long time ago."
There was a brief silence. Then, Gwyneth nodded to her hand. "What were you making?" she asked.
"What? Oh! That." Ariel looked at the flower crown made of daisies in her hand and chuckled. "I don't even know. It's childish. Just to pass the time."
"Of course it's not!" Crystin said with a bright smile. "We have competitions every year, one in spring and one in the summer. Gwyn and I always participate."
"You know what, the summer competition is this new moon," Gwyn said. "Maybe you could—"
"Gwyneth, Crystin! Get back here and finish your work!"
Both girls turned crimson, and Ariel laughed. "I think duty calls," she said, pointing to the stream. Then she smiled, actually grateful that these girls came up to her and made her feel a little more at ease. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I don't know how long we'll be staying here, though. My sister and I are travellers after all."
Gwyneth and Crystin nodded. "I hope you will find a safe way to wherever you are headed," Gwyneth said, her grey eyes twinkling.
They started making their way down to the brook when Crystin turned back to her. "Oh! Be sure to go by Ms. Aelwen's bakery," she said. "You must be starving, and she makes the best dainties in the area."
Ariel smiled and thanked her. Then she slowly headed into the direction Crystin pointed to, pretty sure this bakery was the only one of its kind in the area.
Only when she really walked through the settlement did Ariel realise how compact it was. There was one 'main street' as she'd call it, which was actually more resembling to a narrow alley in New York.
But in this main street, there was what appeared to be a blacksmith, a butcher, some sort of grocer and the bakery Crystin had told her about. These shops were inside the log cabins, and Ariel figured it was where the owners lived as well.
For probably fifteen minutes, she lingered near the bakery, but hesitated to go up to the porch. Maybe Dylis would come back and they could go together.
But when she didn't come, and when the delicious smell nearly killed her, Ariel finally climbed up the ladder— which had only three steps— and onto the platform.
She blew out a sigh though when she saw a man standing in front of a particularly large window, reaching out with a basket of straw so that the woman inside could fill it with bread.
But her excitement for food was quickly cut short when the man put a coin in the woman's hand.
Well. That was that. She still remembered the words Dylis said to her: play along, and she didn't have any coin with her, so she couldn't buy any.
Great. "I must starve to death, then," she half-whispered, half-mumbled to herself. Disappointed, she turned around to go down the ladder, but instead bumped into something solid that wasn't there before.
She let out a little yelp and two hands shot out to keep her from losing her balance. "Whooops, sorry," she said, chuckling nervously, "didn't see you there, Lithir."
"That's alright," he said with a laugh. "Shouldn't have been sneaking up on you." Ariel smiled, and he smiled back. When they remembered they were standing pretty close to each other for somewhat-strangers, they both took a step away from each other, which resulted into Lithir almost falling off the platform if Ariel hadn't grabbed his arm.
They were silent for a second, Ariel's cheeks a not-so-charming poppy red colour.
Then they both burst out laughing.
Ariel shook her head. "Wow," she huffed, though with a grin on her face. "That was awkward."
"Yes, yes it was," Lithir agreed with a nod, and suddenly seemed to be pretty interested in the shape of the cabin's roof. "So… I heard you met my sister."
Ariel tilted her head. "Your sister?" she said, confused for a second. "Oh! Gwyneth! I already thought she had something vaguely familiar." She nodded, more to herself than to Lithir. "Yeah, she's very nice. She— and her friend— approached me, actually. They seemed to be pretty curious about me."
"It's not everyday that travellers visit our village," Lithir said with a shrug. "We are… pretty secluded."
Ariel looked about and then eyed him fake-puzzled. "Oh really? I hadn't noticed."
He chuckled. "Did you want to buy something?" he asked, nodding to the open window where various savouries and types of bread were displayed.
"Uhm, yeah, but I changed my mind," Ariel lied, waving her hand and already moving to go down.
"You must be jesting," he said, almost looking stunned. "No one ever turns down Ms. Aelwen's delicacies. Even the other Dúnedain villages know of what she can do with dough."
"Sorry, what villages?" Ariel asked, confused.
Lithir shook his head, thinking she was just playing, and pointed a finger at her. "You are not getting out of this," he said and walked the four steps to the open window. "You cannot travel any further without tasting at least one of her creations."
"You don't understand," she said, walking after him, but he already rang the bell to let the woman inside know there were customers. "I don't have any money— or coins or whatever."
Lithir paused.
"I forgot," he said, looking downcast. "Your money and supplies were stolen." He smiled then. "Doesn't matter, though. I can spare a few coins."
Before Ariel could protest, the woman— probably Ms. Aelwen— appeared and gave them both a smile, making the skin around her eyes crinkle even more than it already did.
"Good day, Lithir," she greeted and nodded to Ariel. "Who is this lovely girl you've brought with you?"
Ariel almost extended her hand, but then thought better of it and placed it on her chest. "My name's Tilda," she said. "And you must be the famous Ms. Aelwen."
She smiles and looked at Lithir. "Well, she knows how to make a first impression," she said with a giggle. Then she turned to Ariel. "You flatter me too much, child. Certainly a traveller from around Fornost hasn't heard of me?"
Ariel's stopped, surprised, and looked at Lithir. How did this woman know..?
"Word travels fast around here," Lithir answered to her unspoken question with a shrug.
"I guess so…" Ariel mumbled.
"What can I offer you, dear?" Ms. Aelwen asked, and went on to explain what was displayed and the cost of it all.
Ariel picked the least expensive and if Lithir noticed, he made no mention of it. They all looked tasty enough, no matter the cost. The scent of freshly baked bread filled Ariel nose and made her stomach beg to be filled.
Then she remembered that she didn't have any sort of basket, but Ms. Aelwen noticed and disappeared and reappeared with a basket of her own.
"Oh, you don't have to—"
Ms. Aelwen waved a hand. "I give it to all my first customers," she said with a wink, and filled the basket with the ones Ariel had chosen.
"Thank you, Ms. Aelwen, really," Ariel said with a smile and a grateful nod as she took the basket from her.
"No problem, dear," she replied. "How long will you be staying here?"
Ariel shrugged, letting the basket hang in the crook of her elbow. "I don't know, actually," she said. "My sister is speaking with… the one in charge here."
Ms. Aelwen nodded. "Ah, Halbarad," she said. A voice inside called for her and Ms. Aelwen straightened, wiping her hands off on her apron. "It appears I am needed," she said in a slightly annoyed voice. She smiled at Ariel, though. "Have a nice stay and if you are indeed leaving today, safe travels."
Ariel smiled back. "Have a nice day as well," she said. "Good bye!"
They climbed off the platform and Ariel turned to Lithir. "Thanks, by the way," she said, lifting her basket in emphasis. "For the bread."
"It is no problem, really," he said dismissively. "You should be starving, not having eaten anything substantial for two days."
Ariel took a piece of bread and broke it in two, handing one to Lithir. He took it with a smile and they started walking into a random direction.
She looked around her, taking a bite of the bread. It tasted as delicious as it smelled and she closed her eyes for a second, savouring every bite of it.
"Good, is it not?" Lithir asked, and she opened her eyes to see him looking at her with a grin.
She nodded, taking a bigger bite. "So… what's this village called?" she asked curiously after swallowing.
"Frankly, it doesn't really have a name," he replied with a chuckle, "but we call it Lannen* because of the surroundings."
Ariel nodded slowly. "Lannen…" she repeated, but she couldn't really pronounce it in the way Lithir had. "Is that another language or something?"
"It's Sindarin," he confirmed.
Ariel's eyebrows furrowed deeply. She recognised that word… but she couldn't remember from what.
When Lithir saw her puzzlement, he clarified, "It is the language of the elves."
Ariel had a hard time to keep a straight face and just nodded again. "Of course!" she said with a forced laugh and a shake of her head. "Haha. Should've known that, right?"
"It is alright," he said, throwing her a bemused glance. "There are many Men in the south who believe elves are merely mythical and do not exist, but that is because they live not near them."
Ariel just kept nodding, the phrase 'just play along' quickly becoming a new, basic mantra in her head. "Those men are probably just crazy," she said, waving her hand. But, uhm, have you ever met an elf?"
Lithir opened his mouth but shut it when his eyes fell on something behind Ariel, and he nodded into the direction. "There is your sister," he said instead, and Ariel quickly turned around.
Indeed, Dylis was striding over to her with fairly big and hastened paces, and the set jaw had Ariel concluding things hadn't really gone well with Halbarad.
"There you are," Ariel said, putting her hands on her hips. "Took you long enough."
Dylis didn't waste any time for idle talk and stopped in front of her, giving Lithir only a nod in acknowledgement as a greeting. "We are here to stay for a week," she announced, and the way she almost hissed it showed that she didn't really agree with the decision.
Ariel's eyes widened. "What? Why?" she asked bewildered. "I thought they agreed to help us reach…" she tried to remember the town's name, "…our destination?"
"They did," Dylis said with a nod. "But they say it is not safe for us to travel alone, so we have to wait until emissaries arrive from Rivendell."
"Rivendell?" Lithir piped in. "I thought you said your destination was Bree?"
Dylis made to reply, but was cut off by a bark of laughter from Ariel. Dylis gave her a warning look, and Ariel instantly shut her mouth, being reminded by her mantra.
Rivendell. So these people pretended they were in Middle Earth, huh? Now she recognised the town names Fornost and Bree— and the elven language called Sindarin.
Jeez. As much as she liked Lithir, these people were crazy.
"Yes, well, change of plans," Dylis replied to Lithir. She turned to Ariel. "I have told Halbarad our real names."
"And I was just getting used to being called Tilda," Ariel said sarcastically. "Excellent name you came up with, by the way."
Dylis rolled her eyes.
"Wait, your names are not Tilda and Sigrid?" Lithir asked with a confused expression on his face.
Ariel shook her head. "No, I don't even know why she thought it was a good idea," she said before looking Dylis up and down. "Funny. I never thought you liked pranks."
Dylis ignored her. "I did not know whether or not we could trust you," she explained to Lithir. "My apologies for misleading you."
Lithir looked from her to Ariel and back. Then he looked at their clothes. Both ladies could tell he knew something was up with them. "Nothing to forgive," he said eventually with a small smile. "Though I would like to know your real names, then."
"My name is Dylis," Dylis said and then nodded to Ariel. "And this is Ariel."
"And you are sisters, right?" he asked.
Ariel shook her head. "Not really, no," she answered. "But we see each other as sisters. She's been with me my whole life."
Lithir nodded slowly. "Well," he said and suddenly looked like he was in a rush, "a pleasure meeting you. I am afraid I must go home, otherwise Gwyneth will have cooked up some dish of terrible taste. As much as she hates to admit it, she is not the best cook."
Ariel chuckled a bit. "That's alright," she said. "I will see you around. And thanks again for the bread."
"It is of no problem," he said, then started walking away backwards. "Have a good day!"
He turned around and almost hurried down the path before turning right.
Ariel turned to Dylis and gave her a piece of bread. "This is some messed up shit."
*Lannen is a name I made up myself, obviously. I don't know if I combined it correctly. It's made from the words lant, meaning 'a clearing in the forest', and the word nen, meaning 'water (used for a lake or pool or a lesser river).
Anyway, that was chapter six. Hope you liked it and if you did, don't forget to review :)
xoxo
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